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2024 ANJEC Lechner Scholarship winner T By Georgia Madiba, ANJEC Membership Manager he 2024 recipient of ANJEC's Lechner Scholarship is Nicholas Guerriero of Surf City, located on Long Beach Island. Nicholas completed high school at the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES), a specialized school focused on marine and environmental science. Guerriero is a junior at Stockton University pursuing a degree in environmental science with a concentration in soil science and hydrology. His commitment to preserving and improving New Jersey's natural resources, particularly the coastal waters, is demonstrated by his work beyond the university. Guerriero's hands-on experience with shellfish began at MATES while volunteering on research projects with ReClam the Bay, a nonprofit cultivating and nurturing baby clams and oysters in the Barnegat Bay Watershed's ecosystem in southern New Jersey. He currently works at the Barnegat Oyster Collective, a farm-to-table shellfish aquaculture organization comprised of independent oyster farms in the Garden State. Guerriero manages the nursery and caters the raw bar at special events while informing partygoers on the sustainable practices employed at the Collective. He has also served as the Kayak Eco-Tours program manager and sole guide for Bayview Harbor Marina, where he has educated and guided groups around salt marsh areas, emphasizing the importance of ecosystem preservation and conservation. ANJEC is impressed by Guerriero's ability to juggle his work (both volunteer and paid) along with his college studies. After university, he is considering a job as a New Jersey conservation officer, or pursuing his passion: shellfish. SUSTAINABLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER ANJEC awards this scholarship biannually to rising college juniors and seniors in memory of conservationist Hermia Lechner to honor her commitment to the preservation of open space and natural resources in New Jersey. A third generation fisherman and clammer, Nicholas is in his element in the coastal waters of New Jersey. ANJEC REPORT – Autumn 2024 9

O Enviros laud new rules proposal n Aug. 6 ANJEC joined the NJ Sierra Club, the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters, The Watershed Institute, local first responders, and more in Asbury Park in support of the long-awaited NJ PACT REAL rule package being proposed in the New Jersey Register. The proposed land use rules will modernize regulations by requiring that all new development and redevelopment improve resilience to climate change. This crucial step will help NJ protect against rising sea levels, intense storms and flooding. With projections showing up to 5.1 feet of sea-level rise by 2100, these rules are vital for safeguarding homes, communities and coastal habitats. “Using scientific data to inform land use regulations and change the way and places we build to reflect the climate change impacts that are happening will make us more resilient,” said ANJEC Executive Director Jennifer Coffey at the event. “We need to become both stronger and smarter than future storms. We need the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to adopt these rules quickly.” The 90-day public comment period for the NJPACT REAL rules is currently open, and three public hearings are scheduled through September. The DEP has one year from the date of proposal publication to adopt the rules. Big thanks to the DEP and Governor Murphy for advancing this important initiative. From left: Chris Sotiro, Policy and Program Coordinator, NJ Future; Anjuli Ramos, Sierra Club Executive Director; Jennifer Coffey, ANJEC Executive Director; Ed Potonak, NJLCV Executive Director and Franklin Township (Somerset) Deputy Mayor; Lucia Osbourne, Delaware Bayshore Program Director, American Littoral Society; Bill Kibler, emergency responder and Raritan Headwaters Director of Policy; Miracle Brown, PPA intern; Richard Lawton, NJ Sustainable Business Council; Elliott Ruga, Policy and Communications Director, NJ Highlands Coalition; Executive Director Jim Waltman, Watershed Institute Credit Taylor McFarland Photography 10 ANJEC REPORT – Autumn 2024

Special Section: Protecting NJ’s trees in a changing climate Trees under threat… what we can do about it By Matthew G. Olson, Assistant Professor, Environmental Science Program – Forestry School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics, Stockton University F ew organisms inspire us quite like trees. Whether it's a massive white pine emerging above the main canopy of a mature forest or a contorted Japanese maple basking in the full sunlight of a landscaped park, trees never cease to draw our attention and amazement. Beyond their aweinspiring size and magnificence, these mammoths of the plant world also provide numerous beneficial services to ecosystems and society. Now more than ever people are recognizing the many benefits of trees and forests, including their role in helping us adapt to human-caused climate change. These climate adaptation benefits range from tree shade lowering home energy usage and costs to the role of forests in mitigating climate change more directly via greenhouse gas capture and storage. Maintaining native tree cover can also aid other species in coping with extreme weather and a warming climate. Simply put… trees work for all. Humans have long benefited from the ecological services provided by trees. For most of our shared history with trees, we have derived these Matthew Olson in the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina SUSTAINABLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER ANJEC REPORT – Autumn 2024 11

benefits without having to concern ourselves with protecting and regenerating trees. However, our population growth and appetite for natural resources have forced us to develop and adopt sustainable land management practices (e.g., forestry). As human-driven global changes continue to unfold, trees are increasingly dependent on humans for survival and persistence. Some of the more insidious factors limiting trees include high deer densities and chronic over-browsing, expanding invasive species populations, altered disturbance regimes, and anthropogenic climate change and extreme weather. Nowhere are these threats more pronounced than in our urban, suburban, and exurban landscapes. Mid-Atlantic region acutely vulnerable Recent ecological investigations have signaled a reduced capacity of eastern US forests to sustain the recruitment and eventual overstory ascension of native tree species. In particular, the Mid-Atlantic region was highlighted as acutely vulnerable to tree and forest regeneration failure. Chronic over-browsing from deer and detrimental interactions with invasive species are widely cited as primary culprits. Furthermore, a let-be strategy of benign neglect and passive management has greatly exacerbated this issue. The loss of tree and forest cover are the logical consequences of insufficient canopy tree replacement. Here's the good news – a range of tools in the applied ecology toolbox can help trees overcome these limiting factors, including the need for periodic monitoring and evaluation to ensure interventions are effective and timely. Here are a few A planted willow oak emerging out of a 5-ft tree tube in a natural canopy opening in a Stockton University forest 12 ANJEC REPORT – Autumn 2024 approaches to consider when trying to help our trees regenerate and persist near forest edges and within forest fragments. Protection from deer -- Juvenile trees may need to be protected until their terminal shoots grow above the reach of deer (up to two meters). Chemical deterrents can limit deer impact, but deer repellents require reapplication to maintain their effectiveness, sometimes as frequent as every four weeks. Physical barriers like fences and individual tree protectors (tubes and cages) can offer a longer window of protection, but the cost may be prohibitive, especially installing a high fence to enclose a large area. Individual tree

s and individual tree protectors (tubes and cages) can offer a longer window of protection, but the cost may be prohibitive, especially installing a high fence to enclose a large area. Individual tree protectors are often deployed to protect planted nursery-grown seedlings, affording an opportunity to establish desirable species and provenances (i.e., specific genetic sources procured within a species' range).

One cost-effective approach recommended for sustaining desirable species, such as the oaks, is combining (a.k.a., supplemental planting) with tree protectors. These plantings could be concentrated in parts of a stand with the greatest potential for regeneration success such as within or on the edge of natural canopy gaps. However, natural gaps may need a site preparation “cleaning” to remove undesirable vegetation and, if small, may need to be expanded to enhance planted tree recruitment. More recently, enrichment planting has also been touted as a climate adaptation practice for introducing species adapted to projected future climate. Controlling invasive plant species – Invasive plant species can outcompete juvenile native trees, but they can be controlled by a variety of methods. Although herbicides are generally regarded as the most effective, methods can be combined to reduce invasive plant abundance more sustainably. For example, either a mechanical treatment (e.g., forestry mower) or a prescribed burn followed up with a spot application of herbicide to treat low growing sprouts can be effective in controlling undesirable woody plants. For millennia, our ancestors have intentionally shaped landscapes to support their life ways and traditions. Now society must recognize and embrace deliberate human interventions to help sustain ecological systems and their healthy functioning as "natural." This includes actions to facilitate tree regeneration and recruitment in the patchy forests of our more built landscapes. For more information on forest regeneration challenges and management, check out this online article from Penn State Extension: https://tinyurl.com/3pjr2fcd. ANJEC depends on our business members to help pay for the cost of printing the ANJEC Report. Please let them know that you saw their ad here. Remember, however, that ANJEC does not necessarily endorse any of these firms. SUSTAINABLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER ANJEC REPORT – Autumn 2024 13

Tree ordinances protect water, climate and more T By Michael L. Pisauro, Jr., Esq., Policy Director, The Watershed Institute ime and time again, we cut down our trees and are surprised when things change. Areas that never were flooded or wet are "surprisingly" wet and flooded repeatedly. We remove trees from along our streams and are surprised when the banks start to erode and the water becomes cloudy and warm. Our once cool homes that benefited from the shade are now warmer and our air conditioners must work harder to keep us cool. Our electricity bills increase as a result. Birds no longer grace our yards and neighborhoods. All of this because we cut down "just" a tree. Trees are more than the lumber they may provide. Recognizing the benefits that trees add to the environment and all of us, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) added tree protection to its new Municipal Separate Stormwater Sewer Permit (MS4). This permit requirement is not a new idea, and many municipalities have tree protection ordinances in place already. The MS4 permit merely reinforces the many benefits of trees to water quality and quantity. Trees help prevent flooding (September 2, 2021: flooding in New Brunswick after Hurricane Ida). Photo by Sarah J Lee 14 ANJEC REPORT – Autumn Autumn 2024 2024

The roots of the trees hold onto soil thus reducing soil erosion. Trees absorb water and help it penetrate the ground through the roots. The branches and leaves of trees intercept rainfall, slowing its descent and reducing its force, thus reducing erosion. Because trees can mitigate the amount of runoff from a property, they help ensure less and cleaner water enter our waterways, reducing water quality issues and flooding. There are useful calculators that help quantify these benefits, like the Arbor Day Foundation's National Tree Benefit Calculator (https://www.arborday.org/calculator/). The reason to reduce flooding is obvious – flooding impacts all of us, costing lives, damage to property, longer commutes, lost income due to business closure, etc. How about water quality? NJ's waters need help. According to the most recent assessment of New Jersey's water bodies, only 20 percent of the monitored waters are healthy enough for aquatic life, only 28 percent meet the standards for water supply and only 25 percent meet the standards for primary contact recreation. The federal Clean Water Act required NJ to restore its waters to achieve standards by 1983, and the State also set a goal of improving and restoring water quality in its Water Pollution Control Act. Tree ordinances help protect water quality A significant cause of our water pollution is how we manage our land. Development Cherry Hill enacts tough but fair tree ordinance By Hana Katz, ANJEC Policy and Project Manager In June 2022, the Cherry Hill Council voted unanimously to adopt a new tree ordinance. It has been crafted to reflect the Township’s dedication to maintaining its tree canopy and exceeding the requirements of the DEP’s tree ordinance. So, what makes this ordinance work for this growing city? I interviewed Cherry Hill's Municipal Attorney and Director of Law Cosmas Diamantis to find out. Here’s what I got from our insightful conversation. Besides thoughtful policy planning, a good tree ordinance can be created and implemented based on the pillars of community, education and enforcement. American Forests, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting and restoring healthy forest ecosystems, gave Cherry Hill a Tree Equity Score of 87/100 prior to the implementation of the tree ordinance, and 91/100 SUSTAINABLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER afterwards, which is based on ideal canopy and tree

gave Cherry Hill a Tree Equity Score of 87/100 prior to the implementation of the tree ordinance, and 91/100 SUSTAINABLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER afterwards, which is based on ideal canopy and tree amount. Cherry Hill's tree ordinance requires a permit for every tree removal, which is granted after municipal inspection. This process ensures that any removal on private or public property is justifiable, balancing development needs with environmental stewardship. The Township’s departments and Mayor David Fleisher work together proactively to uphold this ordinance, with administration, communications, public works, engineering and zoning all collaborating. The municipality educates the public and businesses, including approximately 150 tree companies, about the ordinance, ensuring they understand the regulations and consequences of noncompliance. They do this through multiple communication channels, updating the website regularly, ANJEC REPORT – Autumn 2024 15

causes increased volumes of water and pollutants to flow from our properties into our waterways. This is true even if the development fully meets the stormwater management requirements. Therefore, taking simple measures to reduce, clean and slow runoff is important. Trees help meet these goals. To help municipalities comply with MS4 requirements, the DEP has created a model ordinance that features several components: • protection of trees 6" inches in diameter at breast height (DBH) or 2.5 inches DBH for street trees; • a formula for required replacement of trees; • the ability to pay into a tree fund if it is not appropriate to replant on site. That posting updates on social media, and publishing weekly newsletters and quarterly community magazines. This proactive approach has led to a decrease in violations as citizens and local removal contractors become more aware of the rules. The ordinance is also focused on ecological benefits, distinguishing between deciduous and evergreen trees, and encouraging the planting of species that provide optimal environmental benefits for the target area. 16 ANJEC REPORT – Autumn 2024 money is then used by the municipality for new trees; • enforcement and penalties. Consider the model ordinance a starting point The DEP's ordinance is a bare bones model that is ripe for enhancements. Some possible areas for enhancement include: • Consider protecting trees that are smaller than 6 inches – or 2.5 inches for street trees. • The ratio for replacement trees could be improved. The model ordinance only requires replacement of a tree of 6 inches to 12.99 inches DBH with one 1.5-inch tree. It will take many years, if not decades, for the benefits of a 10-inch tree Enforcement is key The Township has strengthened enforcement to prevent unauthorized tree cutting by private companies. The enforcement team, comprised of a full-time inspector, zoning enforcement officers and additional support staff, works diligently to monitor and investigate violations. Violations carry significant penalties, including fines ranging from $100 to $1,250, plus restitution payments to the Cherry Hill Tree Fund. The tree ordinance requires tree removal applicants to pay a $300 contribution to